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1971 Project Film Commentary: “The Andromeda Strain” — Science Is the Enemy?

May 1, 2021
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The Andromeda Strain’s anti-intellectualism is rooted in Cold War paranoia: a distrust of science, of academia, and of the press.

Classical CD Review: A Ballet of Human Sacrifice — Set in Ancient Mexico or Post–World War I Germany?

May 1, 2021
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Egon Wellesz’s Weimar era critique of the cruelty of nations that are victorious in war still rings hauntingly true.

Classical CD Review: Virtuoso Percussionist Colin Currie plays HK Gruber

May 1, 2021
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A welcome addition to Scottish percussionist Colin Currie’s endlessly fascinating discography – as well as to Austrian maverick HK Gruber’s.

Film Review: How do you (Re)make a Movie of “Berlin Alexanderplatz”?

April 30, 2021
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This new adaptation is sure to spark criticism from Döblin and Fassbinder loyalists, as well as those who might feel the film is not politically progressive enough. Nonetheless, it strikes the right chords: balancing between textual fidelity and contemporary relevance.

Classical CD Review: A Vibrantly Harrowing “Bluebeard’s Castle”

April 30, 2021
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If this is your first Bluebeard’s Castle, Susanna Mälkki’s recording makes for a fine, occasionally inspired, introduction.

Film Review: “In the Earth” — Nature is Squealing

April 30, 2021
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Director Ben Wheatley has a knack for creating characters whose anti-social behavior is shocking.

Film Preview: IFFBoston preview — Documentaries

April 29, 2021
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The documentary slate at this year’s Independent Film Festival Boston’s all-virtual spring festival puts non-fiction film front and center.

Film Review: “About Endlessness” — A Profound Vision of the Beauty of Loss

April 29, 2021
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About Endlessness’s deadpan combination of sadness and rage feels complete, as if the master dropped the mic before leaving the building after the final edit.

Short Fuse Podcast #39: “Seeing Silicon Valley”: The Fraying of Life in America

April 29, 2021
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Host Elizabeth Howard talks to Fred Turner and Mary Beth Meehan about their book Seeing Silicon Valley: Life Inside a Fraying America, a photographic study of income disparity.

Visual Arts Review: “Seeing Silicon Valley” — Our Future Dystopia?

April 28, 2021
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This is an important book, a powerful account of the decline of California as America’s paradise.

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